# e T>ocV<e,f DO T 'CST - ^CX.O-'^Ol' ^

OS . DcpOllllMtr t o f 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avem/e , S

E T*«WPOrtCltlo n Marc h 31 , 201 0 Washington , D C 20590 ; Offic e o f th e Secretar

y . ^ o f Transportatio n Mr . Thoma s Steven s Cit y Manager

i 1 2 2"* * Stree t Presqu e Isle . M

E 04769-245 9 Dea r Mr . Stevens , I woul dlike to update you o n th e essential ai r servic e (EAS ) situatio n a t Norther n Main e Regional Airpor

t andgiv e you a

n opportunity t o offe

r an y comment s o n th e record before w e submi t arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t SecretEir y fo r Aviatio n an d International Affairs . A s yo

u know , Colga

n Ai r Inc. , operatin g a s U S Airway s Expres s (Colgan) , i s th e curren t

EA S provider

a t your community , an d thei r

contrac t expire s Ma

y 31 , 2010 . I

n anticipatio n o

f that , w e issue dOrde r

2010-3-3 , Marc h 3 , 2010 , solicitin g proposal s from carrier s intereste din providin g subsidize d EA S fo r anew , two-yea

r period , beginnin g Jun e 1 , 2010 . I

n respons e to our

request , thre e carrier s responded : Charter Air Transpor t (Charter) , Colgan , andSovereig n Air , Inc . (Sovereig n Air) . Yo u shoul dhav e receive dacop y of th e proposal s fromeac h carrier , an d the y can b e accesse da

t www.regulations.go v b y enterin g th e numbe r DOT-OST-2000-80I 2 i

n th e searc h block . A s aresult , w e wil l onl y briefl y summariz e the mhere . Charte r ha s propose don e servic e optio n usin g 30-sea t Embrae r EMB-12 0 aircraf

t operatin g tw o nonsto p roun dtrips , si x day s aweek , ove r aPresqu e Isle-Bosto n routin g fo r a n annual subsid

y of $2,737,133 . Colga n ha s propose don e servic e optio n tha t woul d provid e thre e nonsto p roun d trip s eac h weekda

y an dtw o nonsto p roun d trip s o n Saturda y and Sunday (1 9 aweek) , over a Presqu e Isle-Bosto n routin g fo r a n annua l subsidy o

f $2,812,85 3 usin g 34-sea

t Saa b 34 0 aircraft . Colga

n doe s make clear , however , tha t du e t o th e lengt

h of hau l an d fligh

t time , an dFA A approve dpassenger

an dbaggag e weights , th e actua l number o f seat s availabl e fo r sal e i s fewe

r tha n 34 . Du e t o thes e conditions , Colga n state s tha

t on th e Bosto n to Presqu e Isl e le g th e aircraf t i s limite d to 2 8 passengers , and fro mPresqu e Isl e t o Bosto n th e aircraf t i s limite dt o 3 1 passengers . Therefore , Colga n believe s it s proposal o f

thre e roun dtrip s ada

y i s require dt o meet

th e community' s guarantee d 6 7 seat s pe r da y i n eac h direction . Sovereig n Air

ha s propose dtw o servic e option s ove r aPresqu e Isle-Bosto n routing . Optio n 1 woul doffe

r fou r dail y nonsto p roun d trip s usin g 19-sea t Jetstream3 2 aircraf

t fo r a n annual subsidy of

$2,082,548 . Optio n 2 woul d offe r fiv e dail y nonsto p roun d trip s usin g 12-sea

t Beechcraf

t 35 0 aircraf

t fo r a n annua l subsidy o

f $1,867,936 . Optio n 2 ,however , doe s no t mee t th e 15-sea

t requiremen t

i n th e EA S program' s governin g statute s (4 9 us e §4173 2 (b)(3)) . Th e schedule s tha

t th e carrier s hav e propose d ar e illustrativ e onl y an d the y ma y mak e schedul e change s t o reflec t changin g conditions , e.g. , t o bette r mee t shiftin g connectin g ban k time s a t th e hub . However , th e Departmen t doe s expec t

asubsidize d air

carrier t o maintai n well-time dandwell-space d flight s i n orde r t o ensur e ful

l compensation . W e reques t tha t yo u revie w th e proposal s an d submi t an y comment s yo

u ma y hav e a s soo n a s possible , bu t

n o later tha n Apri l 26 . We wil l carefull y conside r your comment s befor e w e submi t

arecommendatio n t o th e Assistan t Secretar y fo r adecision . Pleas e sen dyour

comment s vi ae-mai l t o EAS@dot.go v o r b y fa x t o 202-366-7638 . I

f you hav e any questions , pleas e feel fre e to contac t Michae l Marti n o f

m y staf f a t michael.f.martin@dot.go v o r 202-366-6494 . Sincerely , Denni s J . DeWny , Chie f Essential Air

Servic e Divisio n Offic e of Aviatio n Analysi s cc : Scot t Wardwell , Northern Main e Regional Airpor t